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ODRAZ B92, Belgrade Daily News Service
Odraz B92 vesti (by 7 PM), December 28, 1996
e-mail: beograd@siicom.com URL: http://www.siicom.com/odrazb/
odrazb92@b92.opennet.org http://www.siicom.com/b92/
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All texts are Copyright 1996 Radio B92. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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NEWS BY 7 PM
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10,000 ATTEND PREDRAG STARCEVIC'S FUNERAL
Some 10,000 Belgraders and many journalists attended today the
funeral of Predrag Starcevic, who died of injuries he sustained
after the counter-rally held in Belgrade on December 24. Leaders
of the coalition Zajedno were also present at the funeral. In his
last funeral speech, leader of the Serbian Renewal Movement Vuk
Draskovic said: ``You were killed by those who would not have our
Serbia beautiful and marvelous as you were. When such a Serbia
does come into being, when Belgrade becomes what you wanted it to
be, one of its streets will bear your name.''
During the funeral no police forces were observed in the cemetery
and no incidents occurred. Upon leaving the funeral grounds, some
2,000 formed a column and headed towards the city center. Their
'promenade' ended without incidents, although special police
forces prevented them from getting on the roadways. The next
protest by the coalition Zajedno is to take place in the Republic
Square tomorrow.
BILDT CALLS ON MILOSEVIC TO ACCEPT OSCE RECOMMENDATIONS
UN High Commissioner for Bosnia Karl Bildt today called on Serbian
President Slobodan Milosevic to accept the recommendations of the
OSCE delegation and to refrain from further use of violence
against the protesters, reports Reuters. ``I would recommend to
President Milosevic to confirm the results of the OSCE delegation
led by Mr. Gonzalez,'' said Bildt in his official statement today.
He added: ``I call on the authorities in Belgrade to show the
greatest possible restraint regarding their actions against the
peaceful and dignified protests which continue every day, and I am
deeply worried by recent reports of violent actions against the
protesters. The development of democracy in Serbia is of key
importance for the peace and stability in the region,'' concluded
Bildt in his statement today.
CPJ'S LETTER OF PROTEST TO MILOSEVIC
The letter of protest by the Committee to Protect Journalists
(CPJ) to Serbian President Milosevic listed the journalists and
cameramen who were beaten up by the police on December 26 and 27
and whose news agencies gave confirmation of this. On the list is
Rade Radovanovic, a journalist of ``Nezavisnost'' and
correspondent of a German radio station in Cologne. Radovanovic,
who is also chairman of the Independent Association of
Journalists, was hospitalized for head and leg injuries after he
was beaten up by police on December 27. Cameramen of the Russian
Independent Television (NTV) and Reuters Television were also
beaten up and their equipment smashed. AP's reporter and a
journalist with the Italian TV 5 also suffered severe beating, the
latter having to be hospitalized for injuries. ITN's cameraman had
his equipment destroyed by the police while Radio B92's cameraman
was beaten and hospitalized.
The CPJ letter further stressed that at least 10 incidents
occurred on December 24, when Milosevic's sympathizers were bussed
to Belgrade to confront the coalition Zajedno demonstrators. The
police beat up journalists covering the demonstrations and took
away their video tapes and films. CPJ also expressed their concern
that a correspondent of Radio Canada was denied entrance to FR
Yugoslavia on December 3.
CPJ stated that they have received unconfirmed information that
the police are once again jamming Radio B92 despite the fact that
the Serbian government has promised to stop such actions.
``REPORTERS SANS FRONTIERS'' WRITE TO TOMIC
The organization ``Reporters Sans Frontiers'' today sent a letter
to the Chairman of Serbian Parliament Dragan Tomic in which they
strongly protest against the way the Serbian administration has
treated Milica Torov, journalist of the independent daily ``Nasa
Borba.'' The letter states that on December 25, the head of the
Parliament's Press Department treated Mrs. Torov indecently, by
calling her names and throwing her out of the room. ``Reporters
Sans Frontiers'' have asked Mr. Tomic for an explanation of the
incident.
STUDENTS CONDEMN GOVERNMENT BODIES
Representatives of student protests of all universities in Serbia
met today in Nis and formed a Steering Board of the Student
Protest of Serbia '96.
A statement by the newly-formed board condemned the Serbian
government in harshest terms for breaching the constitution and
the laws of the country, thus jeopardizing the fundamental
democratic principles of a law-abiding state. The statement also
lists the Serbian Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Education
and the Ministry of Information together with Radio Television
Serbia as the chief culprits responsible for the present critical
situation. The student statement calls on the Serbian government
to re-examine its actions in the interests of all citizens of
Serbia, for time is running out.
STUDENT MARCH TONIGHT
Today's protest gathering of UofB B students is set for 18:00 in
front of the School of Philosophy. Although the police prevented
their march through the streets of Belgrade yesterday, the
students have announced they will go for a short protest march
this evening, walking in circles in front of the school.
``DNEVNI TELEGRAF:'' ALLEGED MURDERER ARRESTED
Acting together, the police forces from Belgrade and Novi Sad
arrested today Zivco Sandic, aged 46, reports today's issue of the
daily ``Dnevni Telegraf.'' The police have reasonable grounds to
believe that Sandic was in Knez Mihajlova Street (the very center
of Belgrade) on December 24, and that he shot Ivica Lazovic, aged
43, injuring him severely, stated the information service of
Belgrade's Police Department. Sandic has already been handed over
to the relevant court.
NOVEMBER 17 ELECTIONS ANNULLED IN NIS
The Nis Electoral Commission decided today to hold election reruns
in 23 polling stations, Radio B92 learned from a Democratic Party
representative in Nis. The commission allegedly could not decide
which of the two were valid -- the original balloting minutes
submitted by the coalition Zajedno or the minutes which were
subsequently altered. The commission has therefore annulled the
original election results and called for new balloting, said the
Democratic Party representative, adding that the coalition Zajedno
will not participate in these.
Prepared by: Aleksandra Scepanovic
Edited by: Vaska Andjelkovic (Tumir)
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ODRAZ B92, Belgrade Daily News Service
e-mail: beograd@siicom.com URL: http://www.siicom.com/odrazb/
odrazb92@b92.opennet.org http://www.siicom.com/b92/
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